KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is confident that MCA and MIC will remain with Barisan Nasional even though another coalition has been trying to court them away ahead of the state elections.
The Barisan chairman and Umno president said the coalition in question is known for making such offers whenever there is an election.
“Whenever there is a by-election and state election or more commonly during a general election, they will start making offers to other parties to join them.
“But I am confident MCA and MIC will remain with Barisan,” he said after launching the 2023 National Entrepreneur Week and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Week at Dataran Merdeka, here yesterday.
He was asked to comment on Perikatan Nasional election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s offer to MCA and MIC to ditch Barisan and join Perikatan in the coming state elections.
When asked about the decision by former Putrajaya deputy Umno chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz’s decision to join Bersatu yesterday, Ahmad Zahid wished him “all the best”, adding that Umno and Barisan only need “loyal leaders”.
On a statement by DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng who claimed that a “green wave” would destroy Buddhist temples as per a report by a Chinese daily, Ahmad Zahid said the statement is being repeated to tarnish Lim’s image.
The story claimed Lim had purportedly said the green wave would result in the destruction of Buddhist temples and that non-Muslims would be restricted from carrying out certain practices.
Local delights: Ahmad Zahid (in blue) interacting with entrepreneurs during a walkabout after launching the 2023 National Entrepreneur Week and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Week at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. — SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star
“I read the report and noted that it was an old statement that was brought back up again by certain parties just to tarnish Lim’s name,” Ahmad Zahid said.
“Despite having differing political views, we should always remain ethical in political activities and never commit character assassination like this,” he added.
Meanwhile, federal police deputy CID director (forensics and strategic planning) Deputy Comm Datuk Suresh Kumar G. Suppiah said police had received multiple reports made against Lim over that speech.
Lim was said to have said this during the “Tian Fu Gong Bai Long Wang Singapore-Malaysia Tour 2023” event in Jelutong, Penang on July 7, he added.
In a statement yesterday, DCP Kumar said the Special Investigation Unit is probing the matter.
“Investigations are being conducted under the Sedition Act, the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act for committing an act that has a seditious tendency, or statements that led to public alarm and distress for improper use of network facilities,” he said.
“Do not speculate on the matter as it could disrupt the investigation process.”
DCP Kumar said strict action would be taken against all parties that act to disrupt national harmony and security.
Lim has also disputed the news report, saying that he was referring to a prior case in Kedah in 2020 regarding the demolition of a Hindu temple.
“It has never crossed my mind to use 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues to garner votes as I am certain that doing so will only disrupt the harmony among the various races and religions in this county,” he posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.
